Is this ragwort and is it dangerous to get it on your skin?

[Keitai]

Is this ragwort and is it dangerous if u get it in your skin?

 

[Munroast]

looks like ragwort - poisonous to horses, horsey types hate it, so likely poisonous to you if you eat it. think it can be an irritant if you get it on your skin, I have pulled it out in the past with my hands and never noticed any reaction - probably best to keep it away from more sensitive parts of your body.

Internet tells me it is poisonous and can even cause liver damage even through your skin - so probably best to wear full chemical warfare hazchem suit

 

[accelerator]

Yes it's ragwort.

One contact with skin will not do you much harm, maybe skin irritation at most. If you were clearing it, you should wear gloves and avoid skin contact with it.

 

[Keitai]

Yes it's ragwort.

One contact with skin will not do you much harm, maybe skin irritation at most. If you were clearing it, you should wear gloves and avoid skin contact with it.

How about strimming it then breathing in the bits or getting on skin?

 

[Mottie]

Yes it's ragwort.

One contact with skin will not do you much harm, maybe skin irritation at most. If you were clearing it, you should wear gloves and avoid skin contact with it.

I had some of that whip me in the neck when I was walking through a footpath when going up to vote on July 4th . It immediately came up in welts and it has left a permanent mark.

 

[accelerator]

I had some of that whip me in the neck when I was walking through a footpath when going up to vote on July 4th . It immediately came up in welts and it has left a permanent mark.

Sorry to hear that Mottie. It just goes to show that skin contact is best avoided if at all possible. The severity of the reaction is likely to differ from person to person as it's an immune reaction.

 

[accelerator]

How about strimming it then breathing in the bits or getting on skin?

As demonstrated by Mottie, getting bits on the skin can be bad news. I guess inhalation of small bits could also be pretty bad news, as it could trigger an allergic reaction within the throat or lungs in some people.

I wouldn't strim it anyway, I would get a weed removal tool and get rid of it all by hand. That will get rid of it better as no roots would be left.

If strimming, it would be wise to wear a protective suit and breathing mask I guess if there was a lot of ragwort. Strimming is not a great plan though.

 

[Munroast]

I had some of that whip me in the neck when I was walking through a footpath when going up to vote on July 4th . It immediately came up in welts and it has left a permanent mark.

View attachment 388787

it only grows about 2 foot high - what were you doing

 

[Mottie]

it only grows about 2 foot high - what were you doing

Dunno but it was coming out of a fence. May not have been ragwort then but whatever it was, it got me bad and it bloody hurt at the time. What else could it have been?

 

[Munroast]

giant hogweed - now that gives proper burns

 

[Why Not Indeed]

giant hogweed - now that gives proper burns

That sounds more like it, right height, right reaction.

I pulled up all the ragwort from my meadow last year and there was none this year, so it's pretty easy to get rid of. Yes, I wore gloves, but I'm a bit weird about getting stuff on my hands, so I always wear gloves for gardening.